Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], August 16 : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav paid tribute to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee late Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary on Saturday.
CM Yadav said the entire country remembers the late prime minister.
"Today is the death anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee... He skillfully played the roles of both the ruling party and the opposition... He also spent 19 months in jail for Indian democracy (during the Emergency)... The entire country remembers him, and as long as democracy exists, Atal Bihari Vajpayee's name will thrive in the same way. Our government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also honoured him with Bharat Ratna. We are lucky that he was from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. We all remember him on his death anniversary and we all draw inspiration from him in our lives," CM Yadav told reporters.
President Droupadi Murmu also paid floral tributes to former Prime Minister Vajpayee at his memorial in the national capital.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP National President JP Nadda, Rajya Sabha Deputy Speaker Harivansh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and other senior leaders also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his death anniversary.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh remembered the former prime minister's lifelong efforts to build a strong and prosperous India.
In a post on X, Singh wrote, "I pay homage to Atalji on his punyatithi. He worked all his life with the resolve of building a strong and prosperous India. The nation will always remember his tremendous contribution."
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to late Vajpayee at 'Sadaiv Atal' and reflected on his life and ideals, saying they continue to guide India's journey towards progress.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Paid homage to Atal Ji at 'Sadaiv Atal.' His life was about unwavering service to the nation. His thoughts and ideals continue to guide India's journey towards progress."
Atal Bihari Vajpayee was born on December 25, 1924, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, and was elected three times as the nation's prime minister.
Vajpayee was the face of the BJP for decades and was the first non-Congress prime minister to have served a full term in office.
Vajpayee served as the Prime Minister of India from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996, and again from March 19, 1998, to May 22, 2004. He also served as India's External Affairs Minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Moraji Desai from 1977 to 1979.
He passed away at AIIMS Hospital in Delhi on August 16, 2018.